Wilder Country

Book excerpt: Finn, Kas and Willow have survived the winter of storms. Severe winds and cold have kept the Wilders at bay. Now that spring has come, everything has changed. They’re being hunted again, and they won’t be safe while Ramage wants their blood. But Finn and Kas made a promise to Rose—to find her baby and bring her back. And finding Hope means finding Ramage... Wilder Country is the exciting, action-packed sequel to Mark Smith’s highly acclaimed The Road to Winter. Mark Smith lives on Victoria’s Surf Coast. His writing has won a number of awards and has appeared in Best Australian Stories, Review of Australian Fiction and the Big Issue. Wilder Country is his second novel. ‘The sequel to Mark Smith’s The Road to Winter is a page-turner with a heart and soul, tightly packed with exquisitely rendered action and nail-biting scenes of peril, all layered with emotional authenticity.’ Written by Sime ‘Mark Smith writes in a taut style that keeps the pages turning...Absorbing entertainment, this is what most young folk would look for in reading.’ Magpies ‘Issues of survival, trust and honour make this a great book for reading groups...A much anticipated sequel that reminds me of the Tomorrow When the War Began series.’ Lamont Books ‘If you love dystopian narratives with nail-biting life-and-death situations, then Mark Smith’s Wilder Country is for you. My only regret is that I have to wait until book three hits bookstore shelves.’ Kids’ Book Review ‘Satisfying.’ NZ Listener, 50 Best Books for Kids ‘A page-turner told in an unaffected, Australian voice.’ Joy Lawn, Australian ‘A rip-roaring story—gripping and compelling, I couldn’t put it down. Mark Smith creates this dangerous, lawless new world and manages to champion the decency of youth. Very timely. And what makes it so powerful is that it’s frighteningly believable.’ Robert Newton ‘The superb pacing, natural dialogue, and vivid descriptions of a country and people ravaged by disaster make this a pulse-pounding read...A strong addition to the genre.’ Kirkus Reviews ‘Mark Smith's sequel picks up seamlessly where Road to Winter left off. In Wilder Country, Finn continues his fight to survive by dodging the Wilder gang, led by the loathsome Ramage, and forming a new kind of family with Kas and Willow from book one. An unmissable series.’ Sydney Morning Herald 'This book canvasses some important and relevant issues and it does so through the prism of young eyes...It balances the softness of helping others and emotional themes with the vivid and exciting action of fear, survival and revenge.’ Cass Moriarty, author of The Promise Seed